Title: Storm
Author: Pinkcat4569
Rating: G
Spoilers: Series 4
Description: As a storm rages outside, the ARC is hit with a different storm: an anomaly and creatures.
Disclaimer: Don't own Primeval or the characters. For fun only.
Author's Note: Research for the creatures came from the library, and now my family wants to know what's with all the dino books. Again, I'm not an expert, so please excuse anything that isn't quite right. But feel free to let me know. Thanks.
Words 2214—a short one! Another B/J not a couple...yet story.
Storm
Jess pulled into the ARC just as the storm hit.
"Great. I guess I should have watched the weather."
She walked carefully. Her shoes were adorable, but not very slip-resistant. She sighed.
"Shoes are going to be ruined," she grumbled. "So's my dress."
By the time she got inside, her hair was plastered to her head, and her adorable orange and red mini dress was soaked.
She walked to the security checkpoint. The guard smiled sympathetically.
"Nasty storm, are you alright, Miss Parker?" he asked.
"Yes, thank you. I'm just wet and dripping."
"I wish I had a towel to give you."
"Thank you, I wish you did too."
He laughed.
Jess slowly made her way to Ops, leaving a wet trail.
"Hey, Jess," said Becker. Then he looked at her. "Ooh. Caught in the storm?"
"No, Becker. The wet look with plastered hair and sopping dress is in this season."
"Someone's grumpy."
"Really? Look at me!"
He laughed. Her shiny red shoes were now a dark, saturated maroon color. Her legs were studded with tiny pools, and her dress was heavy and dripping.
"You look awesome, even in monsoon wear," he said.
Her frown broke into a smile. She laughed. "Thank you, but I doubt it."
"Nah, I'm being honest. You're adorable."
She blushed. "Thank you." She squeaked over to the ADD, her shoes making the walk slow and heavy.
"Hey, Jess, do you have the requisition forms on my new lab equipment...whoa! You look like a drowned rat."
"Thank you Connor. Feel free to hit him, Becker. Becker? Where did he go?"
Connor shrugged. "Requisitions?"
"Just a sec. Can I dry out first?"
"Should have watched the weather, Jess."
"Connor! Go away, annoy someone else."
"OK. As soon as I get the forms."
There was a loud crash of thunder, and a strike of lightning.
Jess jumped and gave a slight, muffled scream.
"It's OK, Jess. Temple, the lady gave you an order," said Becker, jogging in with an armload of towels. "Do I need to give it instead?" He growled.
"No rush on those forms, Jess. You look lovely, by the way. Later," said Connor, hastily retreating.
Jess giggled as Becker draped a towel around her shoulders. "Aw...thank you, my gallant Captain."
Becker blushed. "Don't want you getting sick. We'd be stuck with Temple, and his legs aren't so cute."
"You're bad. No. You aren't. You're incredibly sweet."
He had covered her legs and skirt with towels, and was lightly rubbing her hair with another. "Stop it, Jess. I have a reputation."
"Does this reputation include hair drying?"
Becker jumped back, away from Jess, blushing bright red. He frowned at the sight of Emily.
"Hi, Em. I should have watched the weather," said Jess, much more cheerful sounding now.
"Yes, I see. Are you alright?"
"Oh, sure. Just wet. Becker's worried I'll catch cold."
Emily smiled.
Becker cleared his throat. "I should go...gun things...to do."
Another flash of lightning and a loud, thundering crash made Jess jump.
"You don't really have to go...do you?"
Becker's embarrassment drained away. "I guess I can work on mission reports."
Jess sighed. "Thank you."
"I did not care for storms either," said Emily, "but as a traveler through the anomalies I became hardened. They no longer concern me."
Crash.
Flash.
"Eek!"
Becker's hand shot onto hers. "It's alright, Jess. You're safe, deep inside the ARC."
"I will fetch you some tea. Perhaps that will help calm you."
"Thank you, Emily."
Emily smiled and headed for the break room.
Jess laughed uneasily. "I know I'm being a scared little kitten, but I can't help it.""
Becker laughed. "You know what?"
Jess shook her head.
He smirked. "I like kittens."
She giggled and blushed.
The storm raged on, blowing loud, rattling wind, and torrential rain that sounded like millions of marbles on the roof.
Jess nibbled nervously on chocolate, and sipped her tea. "Calm," she whispered. "Calm."
Becker smiled. He had began the mission reports at the nearest desk. As the storm got louder, he scooted closer. He was now sitting beside her.
"Eek!"
"You're fine."
Then, the ADD blared.
"Brilliant," muttered Becker.
"Yes," said Jess. She groaned. "The good news is you don't have to chase anything in the storm."
"The bad news?"
"Its in the ARC."
"Lovely. Where?"
"The menagerie," she said. Then she spoke into comms. "Abby? Do you copy?"
Becker was already heading out of Ops when he said, "At least we don't have to go far to contain creatures."
Jess rolled her eyes. "That's not comforting, sorry. I can't get Abby."
"Don't worry," he said, vanishing from sight.
Flash!
Crash!
"Oh, shut up! We have bigger problems!" yelled Jess to the storm.
Becker ran to the menagerie, meeting up with his men on the way. They rushed into Abby's office, and skid to a halt.
A fat, pudgy, lizard like creature, about five feet long created them with a hiss. Behind it were several more.
"Becker!" Abby was on the other side of her office, behind the large window.
"You alright?"
She nodded, and pointed to the corner of her office. The anomaly glowed brightly.
"Right. Let's get these things back through," said Becker. He and his men started blasting above the creatures' heads, pushing them toward the anomaly.
"Whoa!" cried Connor, just arriving. "Eryops, an amphibian, a large amphibian, by the way. They are kind of squat and ugly, aren't they?"
"Connor! Help us!"
"Right, Sorry," said Connor, aiming his EMD. The eryops moved through the anomaly easily. "OK, so I'll just close this thing, and we'll be done," he said, setting up the closing device.
"Abby?"
"Here, Jess," she said, entering her office. "Those things swarmed through, and I had no where else to go."
"Just be glad it was them and not their main predator. Even though I wouldn't mind seeing a Dimetrodon, those sail things on their back look so cool!"
Just as Connor reached out to engage the device, the eryops swarmed back through.
"What the hell?" asked Becker.
The eryops panicked, running into each other, the humans, and the walls.
Then they heard a roar.
A gigantic roll of thunder crashed as a creature with a sail down its back entered the menagerie.
"Dimetrodon," whispered Connor in awe.
"Damn it Connor. Be careful what you wish for," said Becker.
"All units to the menagerie. Multiple creature incursion," said Jess over comms.
Becker, Connor, and Abby, Becker's men, and the eryops crowded back wards, trying to keep away from the dimetrodon. It was a tight fit.
"That sail is so cool!"
"Connor, forget the fin, and watch the teeth!"
"Right, Action Man."
"Fire!" commanded Becker.
The men began to fire, but the eryops were terrified, pushing the men over, and knocking the EMDs from their hands.
Becker held onto his weapon, and fired at the dimetrodon, causing it to back off, briefly.
Matt and Emily burst in, the eryops saw their chance, and charged through the door, knocking Emily down.
"Whoa!" cried Matt. He quickly fired at an eryops trying to bite Emily, and pulled her from harm.
"After them!" screamed Becker to his men.
They ran after the eryops, leaving the team to handle the dimetrodon.
"Attention! Creature incursion. Lock down, all areas west of the menagerie," said Jess' voice over the comm. "All security teams: corridor A heading toward Ops. We have six Mesozoic amphibians. Consider dangerous and hostile. Contain and secure."
The dimetrodon stared down the team.
"Back it into the anomaly," said Matt. "Emily, you and Becker move on its left, easy, smooth movements. Connor, you and Abby move straight in. I'll take the right."
They all nodded, and advanced simultaneously on the beast. It hissed and snapped, moving backward as they advanced. It lunged a few times, but they shot their EMDs and forced it back.
It was on the verge on entering the anomaly when a huge, loud crack hit the ARC, plunging them into darkness. The anomaly illuminated the creature, and another flash of lightning focused an eerie back lighting on the creature, its teeth and sail.
It was dramatic and beautiful.
Becker rushed forward, firing his EMD, and pushing the startled creature through.
"Lock it!" yelled Matt.
"Attention, creatures approaching Ops. Repeat: Ops is vulnerable," said Jess, in a calm, steady voice.
It didn't fool Becker. He ran past the team, without a word, and ran out of the office.
"Got it, Connor?" asked Matt.
"Yeah, yeah. Go!"
Matt nodded, and he, Emily and Abby followed after Becker.
At least, they tried to. Unlike Becker, they weren't trained to fight in unusual conditions. Like total dark.
"Ow, that's my foot."
"I am sorry, Abby."
"There's too much stuff in the way!" cried Matt.
"Those things trashed my office, sorry," said Abby.
"Why aren't the backup lights coming on?" asked Matt.
Connor shrugged. "Don't know. I'll head to engineering next."
"Be careful, Connor."
"Really, Abby. I can handle my...Ow. I'm alright."
Finally, they got out of the lab and headed after Becker.
Becker, fueled by adrenaline and anxiety over Jess, easily charged down the dark hallways.
He neared Ops and saw the illumination of EMD fire. His men were engaging the eryops.
As he joined them, he was able to make out Jess through the flashes of EMD fire and lightning. She was pressed against the ADD, scared but seemingly alright.
The eryops were large and bulky, but slow and not able to move with much agility or grace. That worked to their advantage, though, making it hard for the men to get a shot as the creatures bumped into each other and them.
The soldiers also had to protect Jess. They didn't move in for fear the creatures would go after her. The eryops were between her and the soldiers.
So, instead of just attacking, the men moved around, trying to get on all sides of the creatures.
It wasn't so easy.
Jess, stayed still, dodging the beasts when they got too close. Becker nodded to two of his men and they moved toward Jess.
Unfortunately, so did the creatures.
The storm raged, crashing and flashing, and agitating the creatures.
Finally, the soldiers got behind all of them but one. It targeted Jess either by design or accident. Whatever the reason, it advanced on her.
Bad decision.
Becker reacted quickly, jumping onto it, causing it to thrash. He then somersaulted over it, landing beside Jess, then he fired his EMD at the creature, while pulling Jess with him as he backed further away.
The soldiers had contained the others and they now moved on the last one. Soon Jess' would be attacker was out cold.
"You OK?" Becker asked.
Jess stared. "That was...awesome!"
He blushed.
"It was sir," said a soldier.
"You should teach us all that move," said another.
"I agree," said an Irish brogue. "Sorry, we're late. At least we got to Action Man in action."
"Connor will be so disappointed," said Abby.
Becker laughed.
Jess giggled with relief and walked into his arms.
Flash.
"I thought the storm was outside," she said.
Becker laughed. "We can handle any kind that comes along, right?"
"Right," she said with a smile.
"OK, guys," said Matt. "Start dragging these guys down to the menagerie."
The soldiers nodded. Emily and Abby helped.
Matt smirked. "Why don't you stay here, Becker. Make sure Ops is secure."
Becker nodded, still holding Jess.
"Thank you, Matt. I'm still rather shaken," she said.
Matt nodded.
When they were alone, Jess looked up at Becker. "Thank you."
"It's my job," he said with a shrug.
"Of course," she said with a slight frown.
Flash.
"Eek!"
Becker laughed, and squeezed her tighter.. "Luckily, we're inside, Jess. Nice and dry, and...cozy."
She looked up and he smirked.
"Is this part of your job?"
He shook his head. "No. This is definitely a perk."
She laughed, and cuddled into his chest.
The storm kept raging, but Jess seemed to mind it less, as Becker held her.
"You know, I heard this storm is going to last all night," he said.
She looked up at him. "And?"
He smirked. "And...I don't think you should be alone."
"Neither do I."
"You do know she has room mates, right?"
"Eek!"
"Damn it, Connor! Don't sneak up on people!"
"I didn't exactly sneak. The lights are still down. The generators were taken off-line, but they should be up soon."
"That's great, thanks," said a grumpy Becker.
"You're welcome. So, what was that about Jess being alone? Me and Abby will be with her."
"Shut up, Connor!" screamed both Jess and Becker..
"Sheesh! I preferred the dimetrodon's company."
"Then go and find it!"
"You pushed it through the anomaly, Becker."
"What's your point, Temple?"
"That's harsh, dude."
"Connor, please leave us alone," Jess asked sweetly.
"Since you said, please," he said.
Jess asked Becker, "You were saying...about the storm?"
He smiled. "I was saying...maybe I should stay with you...because of the storm."
"I think that's an excellent idea. Thank you. You know, it's crowded at my flat..."
Becker leaned close to her. "Maybe you should come to mine."
"Maybe I should," she said, leaning into him.
A flash of lightning and a rumble of thunder accented the long-awaited kiss.
The End